MP Firsov bolts Poroshenko Bloc due to unwillingness to stay in same faction with Kononenko

"It was uneasy for me to take this decision. I approached it carefully, had considered it for a few days, but realized that it was my only choice. So I'm leaving the Petro Poroshenko Bloc faction. I can stay in the same faction with Kononenko no longer as I do not want to participate in covering his corrupt practices, and be associated with them," the lawmaker wrote.

According to Firsov, Petro Poroshenko Bloc faction shares the same fate with the Party of Regions "thanks to several people."

"I shall be honest that I have certainly been aware from the very beginning that most lawmakers do not exist on the official salary and use their posts to make money. But let us speak frankly - some lobbying, which is generally common in the civilized countries, is one thing, while outright theft and looting on the backdrop of ongoing war is a completely different story!"

"Ihor Kononenko siphons off millions of Euros from Ukraine through dubious offshore firms. Kononenko's partner, another member of our faction Oleksandr Hranovskyi, has received $700,000 in cash from his business partner Adamov, which Hranovskyi has not declared in the Tax Return. And all this is taking place amidst talks on reform, investment and fight against corrupt practices of the old regime. Certainly, I did not join the parliament then to participate in this disgrace," Firsov said.

The lawmaker states that the Petro Poroshenko Bloc faction is ran by several MPs close to the president. Yehor Firsov and other MPs, "tackling the issues of corruption and demanding to investigate crimes in this sphere, are openly ignored."

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